In general, a microwave oven with a toaster is an appliance capable of toasting food (e.g., bread products) as well as performing inherent functions of the microwave oven by using microwaves.
Referring to FIG. 1, there is illustrated a conventional microwave oven with a toaster as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,539,840. At a side portion of the microwave oven, there is provided an electric device chamber 300 in which a magnetron 210 for generating microwaves, a high-voltage transformer 212 for supplying high voltage to the magnetron 210, and a fan 314 for generating an air flow to cool the electric devices are installed. A toaster unit 200 for toasting bread is disposed in front of the electric device chamber 300. The toaster unit 200 is closed and opened by a toaster door 230. As shown in FIG. 1, the toaster door 230 is positioned under a control panel 214 at which a plurality of control buttons are provided. The toaster unit 200 includes a casing 202 with a predetermined cavity and the toaster door 230 is pivoted about a hinge shaft Ha to close and open the casing 202. A heater for heating bread is provided in the casing 202. A pair of cooperating levers 222 are at one ends thereof connected to middle portion of both sides of the toaster door 130 and at the other ends to both side of a tray 220 movably placed in the casing 202. The cooperating levers 222 are pivotally connected to both of the toaster door 230 and the tray 220. Accordingly, when the toaster door 230 is opened and closed, the tray 220 and hence bread B put therein are also moved forward and backward.
In such conventional arrangements, however, since the toaster door 230 is pivoted about the hinge shaft Ha and connected through the cooperating levers 222 to the tray 220, many components are required and the assembling process thereof is complicated, thereby decreasing the productivity of the microwave oven. Moreover, in the operation of the toaster of the conventional microwave oven, in case that the toaster is continually operated, the heater is overheated so that bread is over-baked or burnt black. In order to prevent the above problem, a user may set an operation time of the heater at every operations based on his experience; however, this is very cumbersome work.